Eva Lorenz gets serious about upcoming Australian championships

Klaus Lorenz led after the first day of racing in the Optimist - Sail Mooloolaba 2011

Andrew Gorton

Young Whitsunday Sailing Club Optimist dinghy skipper Eva Lorenz will take on a more serious attitude to her sailing when she contests the Australian championship on Brisbane’s Waterloo Bay later this month. The talented Opti-sailor has been taught to understand that all of the long hours she has spent hanging from the hiking straps during extensive training sessions on Pioneer Bay have been important.

But she will need to become a serious tactical thinker at the tiller of her dinghy Lorelei when 163 sailors representing Hong Kong, France, New Zealand and Australia compete for the prestigious Australian championship trophy.

She will have some friendly Whitsunday Sailing Club team mates around her on the rigging lawn with Hamish Swain, Aidan and Ty Gummow, Cedar White and Brendan Hoffman also testing their individual skill at the National level.

However Eva now 13 has reached the stage of her career where championship racing has become more serious in terms of results to win selection in the Australian Optimist Team.

During an interview last August Eva said – 'I enjoy my sailing; it’s a lot of fun racing with and against the boys'.

As expected Eva has been the star performer in club racing off Airlie Beach and would dearly love to emulate the results of her Idol older brother Klaus who won the Bronze Medal at the 2011 Australian championship on the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Clubs Pittwater (NSW) courses.

Klaus has since assumed the important role of coach of the Whitsunday Opti team and has naturally improved their boat speed and stressed the importance of achieving a clear wind start.

Eva has proved she has the energy and determination to sail with the best and promises to improve her Australian ranking but she will need to make sure that her male rivals don’t ‘bluff’ her from protecting her sailing space.

Naturally Klaus has enormous faith in the sailing talent of Eva who regularly raced just off his stern quarter when he dominated club events on Pioneer Bay last year.

However while Eva Lorenz has proved to be the most promising female Optimist dinghy skipper in tropical North Queensland she faces a test of her one-design dinghy racing character to produce a championship point score capable of becoming recognised among the best Nationally.

Hopefully happy Eva who simply sails for the love of the sport and the new friends she meets will be rewarded with a deserved result when the championship final is decided on Saturday January 21.